TMZ has removed images showing portions of Liam Payne's dead body after receiving intense backlash from stars and fans.

When it broke the news of the 31-year-old One Direction singer's death Wednesday, the news outlet published cropped photos of Payne's body taken after he fell from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

While they did not feature his face, the images showed Payne's arm and waist, which were identifiable by his clock and scorpion tattoos.

TMZ reported at the time that the images were cropped from a photo it obtained showing Payne's body lying on a wooden deck at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel after his fall.

However, the outlet appeared to have since taken the images down as they are no longer visible in its report.

"TMZ has seen a photo showing Liam's body," the story now reads.

The move came after numerous well-known figures and fans expressed outrage over the publication of the images.

Alessia Cara had been among the first to call out TMZ on X, formerly Twitter, where she wrote, "You're gross," tagging the outlet.

BBC presenter and former "The X Factor" contestant Rylan Clark, meanwhile, called the outlet's actions a "disgrace."

"TMZ posting part of a photo of Liam Payne's dead body in an article announcing his death is beyond deplorable," one X user commented. "I can't tell if I'm losing my mind lately or if society has always been this overtly morally decrepit."

Another angry fan tweeted: "@TMZ you're gross and there's a special place in hell for you. Have respect."

A third user wrote that TMZ "hit an all-time low," adding: "To whoever took the photo and made money from it...shame on you!!!"

Someone else noted, "No one should be releasing images of a deceased person."

Tags
Liam Payne, One Direction, Celebrity deaths, Celebrity Deaths 2024